Leaving nothing to chance
There is a good deal of time before the first participation in the FIA Rally World Championships (WRC) in 2013. But until then Volkswagen are leaving nothing to chance.
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- “The first test with the Polo R WRC is a very special occasion and marks an important milestone in our preparations for entry into the World Championships”, says Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Volkswagen’s head of technology.
The 300 horsepower Polo R WRC is a sports machine which needs to be comprehensively tested and further developed. The car has now made a public appearance on the 2.8 kilometre course nestling in the vineyards near the city of with Volkswagen’s head of technology, Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, and two-time rally world champion Carlos Sainz on board. “The first test with the Polo R WRC is a very special occasion and marks an important milestone in our preparations for entry into the World Championships”, says Dr. Hackenberg. “We are on schedule and can from now on verify in practice the concept and development we have achieved.”
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- It is not yet clear how far removed the current Polo R WRC is from the vehicle which will start in 2013.
A test platform
It is not yet clear how far removed the current Polo R WRC is from the vehicle which will start in 2013. It is certain, however, that painstaking preparation is called for if the ambitious goal is to be attained… successful participation in the FIA Rally World Championships. Following the first test there were further adjustments of the settings of both the motor and the suspension. “This first Polo is a preliminary step on the way to the auto which will compete in 2013. In the coming months it will serve as a test platform for various engine, transmission and running gear components. Based on what we learn the final thoroughbred Polo R WRC will be the end result”, says VW motorsport director Kris Nissen. “In the coming year we will be testing the car on asphalt, on gravel, on slush, mud and snow in order to be as well prepared as possible for 2013.”
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- While the development engineers in the Pfalz region of are still hard at work most of the members of the racing team are on their way to where the Great Britain Rally will start, running from the 10th through the 13th of November.
Bohemian support
While the development engineers in the Pfalz region of are still hard at work most of the members of the racing team are on their way to Wales where the Great Britain Rally will start, running from the 10th through the 13th of November. For this fourth test outing the Volkswagen works team are also bringing two Skoda Fabia S 2000 models from Czech Bohemia to the start. In one cockpit there will be Sepp Wiegand with Dakar winner Timo Gottschalk as co-pilot and in the other the Dutchman Kevin Abbring with Lara Vanneste at his side. Sepp Wiegand is only just twenty-year-old but comes to with his victory in the ADAC Rally Junior Cup to his credit. Previously he was successful in motocross and enduro competition.
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- For this fourth test outing the Volkswagen works team are also bringing two Skoda Fabia S 2000 models to the start in Wales.
The will to win in Britain
Team Abbring has gained some more practical experience. Following a series of wins in the Junior World Championship, this year they triumphed at the French rally on gravel for front-wheel-driven cars. Now Kris Nissen explains how important the upcoming event in England is for his young team… "The Great Britain Rally is one of the most challenging in the rally World Championships. The fast gravel roads, the narrow track through woodland and the unpredictable weather has made this a classic event. And so it is essential that our team experience these conditions in competition.”
